"Now, what is this foolishness he talks of hippopotamuses?" asked Danny
of his mother, as he passed through the kitchen. "Have you been taking
him to the Zoo? And for what?"

"I have not," said Mrs. McCree. "He sets by the windy all day. 'Tis
little recreation a blind man among the poor gets at all. I'm thinkin'
they wander in their minds at times. One day he talks of grease without
stoppin' for the most of an hour. I looks to see if there's lard burnin'
in the fryin' pan. There is not. He says I do not understand. 'Tis weary
days, Sundays, and holidays and all, for a blind man, Danny. There was
no better nor stronger than him when he had his two eyes. 'Tis a fine
day, son. Injoy yeself ag'inst the morning. There will be cold supper at
six."

"Have you heard any talk of a hippopotamus?" asked Danny of Mike, the
janitor, as he went out the door downstairs.

"I have not," said Mike, pulling his shirtsleeves higher. "But 'tis the
only subject in the animal, natural and illegal lists of outrages that
I've not been complained to about these two days. See the landlord. Or
else move out if ye like. Have ye hippopotamuses in the lease? No,
then?"

"It was the old man who spoke of it," said Danny. "Likely there's
nothing in it."

Danny walked up the street to the Avenue and then struck northward into
the heart of the district where Easter--modern Easter, in new, bright
raiment--leads the pascal march. Out of towering brown churches came the